Package with tear tab opening means



July 29, 1958 B. J. TAMARIN PACKAGE WITH TEAR TAB OPENING MEANS 3Sheets-Sheet Filed June 10, 1953 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN ATTORNEYS4 PACKAGE WITH TEAR TAB OPENING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10,1953 TOR.

BERNARD J. TAMARIN 0 W ATTORNEYS July 29, 1958 B. J. TAMARIN PACKAGEWITH TEAR TAB OPENING MEANS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 10. 1953INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN ATTORNEYS United States Patent PACKAGE WITHTEAR TAB OPENING MEANS Bernard J. Tamarin, Flourtown, Pa.

Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,789

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-51) My invention relates to the art of packaging, andit is designed to provide an improved moisture-proof package forcirgarettes and similarly packeted articles, and a method of andapparatus for rapidly and economically embodying my improvements inpackages differing but little in appearance from packages made onstandard equipment. The leading objects of my invention are to affordimmediate access by a single, simple pull to the contents of aneffectively moisture-proofed package; to overcome inherent diflicultiesin opening and reclosing conventional types of cigarette packages havinga foil inner wrapper and a sealed outer sheath of cellophane (sheetedcellulose acetate) or similar materials in which it is difficult toinitiate a tear; to avoid mutilation commonly incident to the opening ofa conventional cigarette package; and to provide a package on which thebulk of the moisture-proofed sheath will be retained and whose innerwrapper may be reclosed after opening.

My improvements are applicable to either machine made packages or tohandmade packages, but are particularly applicable to packages of thetype shown in my application Serial No. 50,823, filed September 23,1948, matured into Patent No. 2,675,169 made on apparatuses such asshown in application Serial No. 263,889 filed December 28, 1951, andsheathed in cellophane by a modified cellophane wrapping machine,preferably having the general characteristics of the Scandia type.

In accordance with my present invention, a tear-initiating slit is cutin a cellophane sheet, either after or before the package is sheathedtherein, and the slit is sealed by covering it with a tab which isbonded to the cellophane all around the slit but leaving a free edgeforming a lip which is preferably of multi-ply construction.

The tear-initiating slit preferably extends substantially across the topof the cellophane sheet which overlies end closure flaps of the innerwrapper which are down-folded so that at least one of the narrower flapsis at least partially overlaid by two downfolded broad flaps which areheld in a downfolded, partially overlapping relation to one another bythe bight of a revenue stamp or the like whose ends are respectivelyattached to the front and back of a jacket enclosing the body of theinner wrapper.

The broad flaps are slit transversely adjacent to the inner end of thenarrow flap overlaid thereby, and the slits in the broad flaps areoverlaid by the edge of the revenue stamp which is in proximity to thetransverse slit in the top of the sheet.

The overlaid narrow closure flap of the inner wrapper is connected withthe top section of the cellophane sheath I by a folded pull strip havingone lap peelably bonded to the surface of the inner section of the flapand its other lap partially overlying the broad flaps of the innerwrapper and bonded to the inner surface of the top section of the sheathbetween the slit therein and the proximal top edge of a side of thepackage.

The pull strip and top tab, as well as the slit in the sheath, are eachpreferably of slightly less width than the top section of the cellophanesheath and the pull strip ice and/or top tab and front and back topedges. of the package form tearing guide for tears initiated at thetermini of the slit in the sheath.

The sheath preferably has a sealing seam formed by 8 ing of thecellophane top section at the termini of the slit therein, the tearstend to follow the lines of least resistance between the lateral edgesof the top tab and.

the adjacent edges of the package to the corners thereof,

thence between the end of the top tab and the top edge of the side ofthe package to the side seam in the sheath and thence downward along theseam to the intercepting cuts therein.

In this tearing operation, stress is transmitted from the tab, throughthe severed top section of the sheath and through the pull strip to thenarrow flap. This stress lifts and unfolds the narrow flap which therebywithdraws the edges of the broad flap sections from under the edge ofthe stamp and unfolds such sections to form, with'the narrow flapbetween them, a reclosable spout through which the contents of thepackage may be withdrawn.

The characteristics of my improved package, and of the best method andapparatus which I have contemplated for producing the same, will furtherappear from.

the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustrationthereof.

p In the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view of a pouch typecigarette package with its-narrow closure fiaps and its broad closureflaps unfolded and a flexible pull strip peelably attached to the outersurface of the upper portion of one of the narrow closure flaps; Fig. 2is a fragmentary perspective view of the top portion of the same packagewith the narrow flaps downfolded; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of the top portion of the same package with all the flaps downfolded and secured in place by a stamp adhering to front and backwalls of the package jacket; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective viewofthe top portion of the same package with an unsealed end wrap cellophanesheath thereon; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the packageof Figs. 1 to 4 with an unsealed side wrap cellophane sheath thereon;Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the package of Figs. 1 to 4with a side wrap cellophane sheath wrapped thereon from the oppositeside of the package from that shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a fragmentaryperspective view of the top portion of the package shown in Fig. 5 withthe narrow flaps of the sheath downfolded; Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryperspective view of the top portion of the package showing Fig. 7 withall the flaps downfolde'd and bonded together and to the pull strip by aheating element, which is shown diagrammatically; Fig. 9 is adiagrammatic fragmentary perspective view illustrating the slitting ofthe downfolded wide flaps adjacent to the inner end of a downfoldednarrow flap of the cellophane sheath; Fig. 10 is a diagrammaticfragmentary perspective view illustrating the deposition of an outerpull strip or tab on portions of the narrow and wide flaps and over'theslits in the latter; Fig. 11 is shown inFig. 12; Fig. 14 is afragmentary perspective Patented July 29, 1958 view illustrating afurther step in opening the package shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is afragmentary perspective view illustrating a further step in opening thepackage of Fig. 12; Fig. 16 is a fragmentary perspective viewillustrating the detachment of the outer sealing tab, of portions of thesheath, and of the inner pull strip as a unit from the remainder of thepackage; Fig. 17 is a schematic view of apparatus for forming the outersealing tab and bonding it to the sheath; and Fig. 18 is a detached,fragmentary perspective view illustrating a modification in the hemmingof the outer sealing tab.

As shown in the drawings, my invention is applied to a cigarette packagecomprising a soft shell pouch composed of an inner wrapper 1, and aprinted jacket or label 2 which is telescoped over and holds togetherthe folded inner wrapper 1. The front, back, and side walls of thewrapper 1 have end extensions consisting of broad flaps 3, 4 and narrowflaps 5, 6, which, during the formation and filling of the pouch,project beyond the top edge 7 of the jacket 2.

The broad flaps 3 and 4 are crease-cut or slit along lines 8 and 9 fromthe outer edges of such flaps to termini adjacent to the edge 7 andrespectively at a distance from the proximal corner of the jacketapproximating the height of the flap 5 above the edge 7. The narrow flap5 has a pull strip adhesively bonded to the upper portion thereof andpeelable therefrom.

When the pouch has been filled with cigarettes 11, or other rod-likearticles, the flaps 5 and 6 are folded down along the edge 7 to formtucks. The flaps 3 and 4 are folded down along the edge 7 and partiallyoverlap one another and the downfolded narrow flaps 5 and 6. The flaps 3and 4 are held downfolded by a stamp 12 which is adhesively bonded tothe front and back surfaces of the jacket 2 and has a bight slightlyoverlying the creasecuts 8 and 9 so that the end closure members 3, 4,5, and 6 are all held in place but none of them are adhesively connectedto one another.

The package thus formed is enclosed in a moisture resistant, transparentsheath 13, of cellophane or the like. As shown in Fig. 4, the sheath maybe end wrapped around the package with its bight around the bottomthereof and its vertical edges 14 and 15 overlapped and sealed onopposite sides of the package. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the cellophanesheath may be side wrapped on the package with its bight around the sidethereof opposite to the pull strip 10 and its edges overlapped to form asealed seam 16 along the side of the package adjacent to the pull strip10. As shown in Fig. 6, the

cellophane sheath may be side wrapped around the package with its bightaround the side of the package adjacent to the pull strip 10 and itsedges overlapped to form a sealed seam 17 on the opposite side of thepackage from the pull strip 10. Regardless of what method of wrappingthe cellophane sheath is employed, the free end of the pull strip 10 isinitially bent upward by the application of the sheath 13 to the pouch,as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

The cellophane sheath 13, however applied, has front, back, and sideextensions 18, 19, 2t), and 21 which initially project beyond the top ofthe filled and closed package. The cellophane extensions and 21 and thefree end of the pull strip 10 pressing against the extension 20 aresimultaneously folded down. The free end of the pull strip 10 overliesportions of the tuck 5 and of the flaps 3 and 4 which overlie the tuck 5and the extensions 20 and 21 each forms a tuck overlying the end closureof the package approximately up to or slightly beyond the proximal edgesof the stamp 12. The extensions 18 and 19 are then folded down to formflaps which overlap one another and partially overlie the tucks formedby the extensions 20 and 21.

The pull strip 10 and the cellophane wrapper 13 are composed of, ortheir facing surfaces are coated with, a thermotropic substance so thatwhen a heater and presser 22 are applied thereto the outer surface ofthe pull strip 10 adheres to the inner surface of the extension 20; thesurface of the inturned sections of the extensions 18 and 19 adhere tothe tucked extensions 20 and 21, and the inner surface of the extension19 adheres to the outer surface of the extension 18 to form a sealed,moisture resistant sheath.

In accordance with my present invention, the extensions 18 and 19 areprovided with complementary and partially overlapping slits 23 and 24which may be creasecut therein prior to the application of thecellophane sheet to the package, but are preferably cut accuratelytherein by a cutter 25 after the members 18, 19, 20, and 21 have beensealed.

The outer extremities of the slits 23 and 24 preferably lie near butspaced slightly from the front and back walls of the package andadjacent to the edge of the stamp 12 and to the inner edge of thedownfolded extension 20.

A thermo-tropic tab 26 is laid over and bonded to the folded members 18,19, and 20 and extends, preferably, from the top edge of the side wallof the package to a line beyond the slits 23 and 24 so that the latterare completely covered and sealed. The inner portion of the tab 26,extending inwardly beyond the slits 23 and 24, is preferably faced orhemmed with a strip 27 to form a mult-ply lip 26'. The body of the tab26 is preferably composed of, or its under surface is coated with, athermotropic material which, when exposed to heat and pressure from aheating element 28, securely bonds the body of the tab 26 to the members18, 19, and 20. The heating of the body of the tab 26 by the element 28causes a shrinkage of material which causes the multi-ply lip 26 to turnup, away from the top of the package, to form a convenient finger piece.

It will thus be seen that, whereas the flaps 3, 4 and 5 are in nowisebonded together and are unfoldable relatively to one another, thetuck'forming flaps 18, 19, and 20 are thermally bonded together so thatthey are not unfoldable relatively to one another and are connected as aunit through the pull strip 10 with the tuck-forming flap 5 which isfree to unfold and to thereby unfold the sections of the flaps 3 and 4lying between the flap 5 and the slits 8 and 9.

When the lip 26' is pulled toward the side of the package, tears areinitiated at the outer termini of the slits 23 and 24 in the flaps 18and 19 and run along the lateral and transverse edges of the tab 25 andadjacent top edges of the jacket 2 and down the edges of the side seamof the sheath to the intercepting, intersecting slits 29 and 30 in theoverlapped edges forming the side seam. A stress is transmitted throughthe tab 26, fiap EECilOIlS 18, 19, 20, and pull strip 10 to the tuck 5.This causes the latter to unfold and thereby unfold the flaps 3 and 4.When the members 3, 4, and 5 are unfolded, the pull strip 10 peels awayfrom the member 5, and leaves a refoldable spout for access to thecontents of the package.

The pull strip 10 may be conveniently formed and applied as set forth inmy application Serial No. 50,823 filed September 23, 1948, or by themethod and apparatus set forth in application Serial No. 263,889 filedDecember 28, 1951.

The tab 26 may be formed and applied by the method and apparatusillustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 17 and 18. As illustrated in Fig.17, a transparent strip 31, of cellulose acetate or the like, is drawnfrom a roll 32 on the journalled spool 33 by the relatively adjustablefeed rollers 34 and 35. In passing from the roll 32 to the rollers 34and 35, the strip 31 may be passed over rollers 36 and 37 and haveapplied thereto a narrow reinforcing edging 38 which is fed from a roll39 on the journalled spool 40. The strip 31, and, if desired, the edging38, has a thermo-plastic coating on the face thereof. The thermo-plasticcoating on the edging 38 may be initially softened by the passage of theedging across a heater 41 with its uncoated face in juxta-positionthereto. The

position to the roller surfaces so that adhesion to the roller surfacesis avoided.

The combined strip 31 and edging 38 are fed by the feed rollers 34 and35 across a fixed jaw 44 and under the oscillatory jaw 44 of a shearwhich severs the combined strip 31 and edging 38 into successive tabs 26which are successively gripped and released by the jaws of conveyors 45and 46, which are operable in suitably timed relation by cams 47 and 48.

The conveyors 45 and 46 :are rotatable about a common axis tosequentially translate successive tabs 26 from the cutter jaws 44 and44' to a position above the end closures of successive packages whichare sequentially moved into position.

Each tab 26 is deposited on the end closure of a package so that thethermo-plastic surface of the tab covers the slits 23 and 24 and isbonded to the end closure by an oscillating heater and presser 49 whichacts in timed relation to the opening of the jaw of a conveyor 45 or 46.If the package is moved from the heated presser 49 before a desired firmbond is made between the thermoplastic surface of the tab 26 and theouter surface of the sheath flaps 18, 19, and 20, the package, with thetab thereon, may be passed beneath one or more additional heatedpressers 50 until the desired firm bond is made between the members 18,19, and 20 and the entire area of the tab 26 which is not covered by theedging 38. The exposed surfaces of the finger piece 26 are uncoated witha plasticizer and the action of the heated pressers on the plasticizedportion of the tab 26 causes the multi-ply lip 26' thereof to bendupward so as to provide a readily seizable finger piece.

Instead of applying .a separate facing strip 38 along the edge of thestrip 31 as shown in Fig. 17, the strip 31 may be self-hemmed by runningit through a hemmer 51 and between presser rolls 52, 53 interposedbetween the spool 33 and the rollers 42 and 36 to turn over a colorededge reenforcement 38' as shown in Fig. 18.

The rim of the heated roller 42 is preferably made of such thickness asto render tacky only the surfaces of the colored strips 38 or 38' whichcontact the coated surface of the strip 31.

The body of the tab 26 and the pull strip 10 are preferably transparentif the sheath is transparent or colored to conform with a colored sheathso as to direct attention therefrom to the lip 26' whose ply 27 formedfrom a strip 38 or 38 is preferably of a color contrasting strikinglywith the adjacent members so as to direct attention to the lip 26' andthe operating instructions thereon or adjacent thereto.

Having described my invention, I claim:

'1. A package comprising an inner wrapper bent to form an end closurehaving an unfoldable tuck and unfoldable flaps partially overlying saidtuck and containing transverse slits, a pull strip peelably attached tothe outer surface of said tuck and terminating adjacent to. said slits,said strip being partly overlaid by and partly overlying said flapsections, an outer sheath bent to form an end closure having a tuckoverlying said tuck first named and flaps partially overlying and bondedto said second named tuck, said pull strip being bonded to the innersurface of said second named tuck, the last named flaps containingtransverse slits, and a tab bonded to said second named flaps andsealing the slits therein, said tab having a free lip through which asingle pull will impart stress detaching from the package said tab andthe sheath flaps bonded thereto and unfolding said first named tuck andthe flaps overlying such tuck.

2. A package having a narrow end closure flap and a pair of broadclosure flaps at least partially overlying said narrow end closure flap,said broad flaps containing slits adjacent to the end of said narrowclosure flap, a flexible strip peelably secured to said narrow closureflap, a sheath covering said flaps and bonded to said strip, said sheathcontaining a slit adjacent to the slits in said broad flaps, and a tabsealing said slit last named and having a lip free from said sheath,said sheath being tearable by pulling on said lip and said pull stripbeing movable to unfold portions of said first named flaps by stresstransmitted through said tab and a torn out portion of said sheath.

3. A package comprising an inner wrapper having a downfolded end closureflap and a pair of downfolded end closure flaps extending transverselyto and at least partially overlying said first named flap, saidoverlying flaps containing complementary slits adjacent to the end ofsaid first named flap, a pull strip peelably attached to said firstnamed end closure flap and folded partially over said overlying flaps, asheath thermally bonded to said pull strip and overlying said flaps,said sheath containing a slit for initiating tearing thereof, and a tabsealing said slit and having a lip facilitating the application ofstress to said sheath at the ends of said slit last named, said sheathhaving slit, overlapped edges adjacent to an edge of said first namedflap for limiting the tearing of said sheath.

4. A package having an inner wrapper bent to form a pair of narrowclosure flaps and a pair of overlying broad closure flaps coacting toform an end closure having members unfoldable to form a spout, a pullstrip peelably secured to one of said first named closure flaps, saidbroad flaps being slit transversely adjacent to the inner end of saidlast named narrow closure flap, means forming a bight at least partiallyoverlying said slits and holding said broad flaps in downfoldedposition, an outer sheath covering said flaps and said bight andcontaining a slit extending substantially across said closure andadjacent to an edge of said bight, and a tab having a section bonded tosaid sheath and sealing said last named slit, said tab having a free lipand said pull strip being folded over on itself and bonded to a portionof said sheath beneath said tab; the flap to which said pull strip issecured being unfoldable through said strip and the sheath portion towhich it is bonded by stress applied to said lip sufficient to detachsaid tab and said sheath portion from said package.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,915,503 Schmidt June 27, 1933 2,090,689 Lindsey Aug. 24, 19372,129,888 Tamarin Sept. 13, 1938 2,189,347 Martin Feb. 6, 1940 2,321,112Tamarin June 8, 1943 2,334,381 Bronander Nov. 16, 1943 2,338,041 KingDec. 28, 1943 2,346,106 Hannigan Apr. 4, 1944 2,415,117 Tamarin Feb. 4,1947 2,553,877 Smith May 22, 1951 2,625,775 Tamarin Jan. 20, 19532,675,169 Tamarin Apr. 13, 1954

